Through Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis’ Flat Classroom Projects (2013), many K-12 educators throughout the world are flattening classroom walls and providing extraordinary opportunities for students to connect, collaborate and learn from others around the globe. Through these projects, students use Web 2.0 technologies and incorporate 21st Century Skills, cultivating a rich understanding of culture and developing global awareness. This session aims to identify ways similar projects can be incorporated in college and university teacher education programs giving future teachers opportunities to develop the skills they will eventually be expected to teach.

This session intends to examine the questions:

What opportunities are available for teacher educators to flatten their classroom walls?

How can teacher education faculty collaborate to develop global collaborative projects for their students?

Can existing Flat Classrooms projects be redesigned to meet the needs of our future teachers? How?

What are the challenges in developing global collaborative programs for teacher education students?

What are the constraints that must be considered?

What are the benefits?

What are next steps?

Join this session and participate in a lively discussion focusing on flattening classroom walls in teacher education.

I mentioned to you the other day one way in which my pre-service teachers collaborated with local districts was by facilitating discussions of text via wikis. This helped them improve their questioning skills, while also learning more about the ways students think and write. This could easily be replicated with students from around the world (or other pre-service teachers).

In addition, we started a pen-pal/email project with some teacher candidates in another country, but there have been some inconsistencies in technology that have forced us to stop. However, I think this is something worth looking into.

Awesome Barbara. This is a vital conversation. We have got to connect teachers at the college level so they understand how it can happen in every classroom. Thanks for spreading the message. Let us know how we can support you!